Facebook executive released from jail in Brazil

SAO PAULO, March 2 (Reuters) - A senior Facebook Inc
executive was released after nearly 24 hours in a Brazilian jail
due to a disputed court order demanding data from the company's
WhatsApp messaging service for a confidential drug-trafficking
investigation.

An appeals court judge handling the case in Sergipe state
overturned a lower court decision to arrest Diego Dzodan,
Facebook's vice president for Latin America, court officials
said on Wednesday.

Law enforcement officials withheld further information about
the nature of their request to the messaging service acquired by
Facebook in 2014, saying it could compromise an ongoing criminal
investigation.

"Diego's detention was an extreme, disproportionate measure,
and we are pleased to see the court in Sergipe issue an
injunction ordering his release," a Facebook spokesperson said
in an emailed statement.

The arrest came as technology companies face mounting
pressure from governments around the world to help them
eavesdrop on users. Apple Inc and U.S. law enforcement
officials are in a standoff over unlocking the iPhone of a
shooter in the San Bernardino, California, attacks.

Court officials said the judge in Brazil resorted to the
arrest after issuing a fine of 1 million reais ($250,000) to
compel Facebook to help investigators get access to WhatsApp
messages relevant to the confidential drug-trafficking
investigation.

The move is likely impossible because WhatsApp began using
end-to-end encryption technology in 2014 that prevents the
company from monitoring messages that travel across its network,
according to Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist with
the American Civil Liberties Union.
(Editing by Frances Kerry and Jeffrey Benkoe)